


Before He Was Magneto, He Was Erik.

by Neferetic



Category: X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - Fandom, X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Complicated Relationships, Light Angst, M/M, blinded by love, charles might be a little out of character, oops??
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-01
Updated: 2016-07-01
Packaged: 2018-07-11 06:20:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7033156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neferetic/pseuds/Neferetic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I thought I was alone." Erik said.<br/>"You're not alone," Charles said, sternly, "Erik, you're not alone."<br/>—<br/>". .We want the same thing."  Erik mutters out.<br/>Charles is silent for a moment, heartbreak filling every fiber of his being, "My friend, I'm sorry, but we do not."<br/>Their last words to each other.<br/>Or so they thought.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Before He Was Magneto, He Was Erik.

Charles Xavier remembers who Erik Lehnsherr was quite well.

When Charles first met Erik, they were in the ocean. Charles had his arms wrapped around Erik's torso, pulling him back to the surface.

Charles had spoken to Erik in his head, telling him to calm his mind.

"Who are you?" Erik asked, angrily, as he resurfaced. 

"I'm Charles Xavier," Charles responded, panting from the lack of air.

"You were in my head! How did you do that?"

"You have your tricks, I have mine. I'm like you! Just calm your mind."

"I thought I was alone," Erik said.

"You're not alone," Charles responded, sternly. "Erik, you're not alone."

—                                                                                                                                   

Charles had eventually convinced Erik to stay at the CIA Compound, and when Erik suggested that he and Charles go search for mutants together, Charles was surprised, and a little bit giddy to be perfectly honest. Charles knew he would be lying if he had said he hadn't taken a great interest in the man who could control metal. 

But when Charles and Erik actually had to start sharing hotel  _bedrooms_ Charles realized what he was feeling was maybe a little more than just friendship.

Charles frowned at the way Erik groaned when he realized that the only bedroom their current hotel had only consisted of one bed.

"My friend, stop being childish. It's not going to kill you to sleep in the same bed with me, now will it?" Charles mumbled as he unlocked their room door.

"I suppose not." Erik said quietly, "I'm going to go take a shower, alright?" 

Charles nodded as Erik slipped into the single bathroom, and Charles rounded the corner and glanced over at their shared bed. Charles chuckled at the sight. The bed was obviously meant for a single person, and definitely not someone Erik's height. How Erik was going to fit, with Charles in the bed as well, Charles did not know. Charles' mind quickly filled with images of Erik pressed against his back, Erik's legs tangled with his own, and Erik's arms resting across his stomach. Charles' heart jumped, and he felt his face flush. Charles tried to calmly lay his clothes neatly on top of the dresser, but his hands kept fumbling, and his mind kept racing. 

When Charles heard the shower water click off, he almost dropped the folded pair of pants he was holding. He heard the bathroom door open slowly, and he smelled the scent of mint ooze from the bathroom. 

Charles glanced over to Erik that was now by his own suitcase, fumbling through it. Charles' stomach twisted and his heart jumped when he saw Erik, his bare chest facing him, and only a simple white towel covering his lower half. Charles seemed to be mesmerized by the water dripping down from Erik's hair down to his neck, then dripping down his back, and then disappearing under the towel. 

When Erik finally found what he was searching for (a shirt, and a pair of pants) he glanced up at Charles, shot him a confused look, then disappeared back into the bathroom. Charles sighed and tried to quickly dress into something more comfortable before Erik came back out.

He slowly pulled back the sheets and comforters enough for him to get covered by them, and Charles turned his head to look back at the space that was left for Erik. There was barely any space left. Charles knew there was no other way for Erik to be at least  _slightly_ comfortable unless he was pressed against him. Charles got filled with nervousness, with a small hint of excitement.

When Erik emerged from the bathroom, he immediately glanced over to his spot on the bed, and rolled his eyes, "Are you serious?"

"Erik, it's alright, you can handle this for one night. I promise I will make certain that we get no more rooms with a single bed." Charles sighed, and patted the space behind him.

Erik grumbled curses but walked over to the bed nevertheless, and carefully wiggled himself under the covers. His feet hung off the edge but weren't uncovered by the soft sheets. Charles felt Erik's arm trying to squeeze itself into place behind Charles' back and Erik's chest. Charles sighed once again.

"Erik, if you need to wrap your arm around me, I don't mind. As long as you're comfortable, my friend."

Erik murmured something inaudible again but gently rested his arm against Charles side, giving him a bit more room on the bed. As Charles felt Erik's arm wrap around him, and his chest press against his back, Charles' heart started beating erratically, and his stomach filled with an unfamiliar warm feeling.

As Erik turned the lights off with his powers and whispered a 'good night', Charles tried not to focus on how he could feel Erik's heart beating just as fast as his own.

—

Soon, Charles and Erik had gathered as many mutants as they could at the time, and they were back at Charles' mansion, training for what's soon to come, and now it's time for another training session with just Erik (Charles always looks forward to those) and despite Erik's efforts to try to get Charles to shoot him ("I know I can stop the bullet, Charles." Erik would groan, "Then you're not challenging yourself, Erik." Charles would sigh, lowering the gun.) they still continued with training, only this time moving to something a little less violent; a satellite. Charles was persuading Erik that he could move it, that there was so much more to him than he knew, that there was good in him, he  _felt_ it.

When Erik finally did make the satellite face them, he had tears in his eyes, he was shaking, and a radiant smile was on his face, a smile that made his eyes glow, and Charles didn't think any human could be any more beautiful.

Charles looked up at him, a wide smile dancing across his face as well. He stared into Erik's bright eyes, and those same eyes bore into his own. 

Their smiles started to fade, and their eyes softened. Erik then quickly moved his face forward and made their lips collide. A flurry of sparks jolted throughout Charles' body. Charles was too shocked to realize what was happening at first, but when he finally did come to his senses, he kissed Erik back with all the passion he could muster. Erik's lips were soft, and a bit chapped, but Charles could not have cared any less; Erik's lips were on his own, that was all his mind could focus on.

Eventually, air became a tragic necessity, and they slowly pulled away from each other, leaving their foreheads touching, and noses brushing, making Charles chuckle.

"Why.. Why didn't you tell me?" Charles whispered.

"Says the one who is a brilliant telepath, may I remind you. You could have simply read my mind." Erik smirked, "Also, I didn't think I was very... subtle..."

"I wouldn't read your mind involuntarily, Erik. Also, I... I did notice your... odd behavior," Charles cast his gaze downwards, "I just thought it was in your nature."

"What a coincidence I thought the same thing," Erik smiled warmly, and lifted Charles' face to meet his eyes once more, and started to lean in for another kiss. Charles smiled and leaned up to meet Erik halfway.

—

Charles studied the chess set in front of him, and occasionally glanced in front of him to Erik, who was thinking just as hard as Charles about his future moves in their game. Charles always loved how Erik's forehead crinkled and he bit his lip when he was in deep thought.

"Shaw's declared war on all of us, and he must be stopped." Charles finally spoke.

"I'm not going to stop Shaw, I'm going to kill him. Do you have it in you to allow that?" Erik responds sternly. Charles shifts in his seat a little at his lover's intentions.

"You knew all along why I was here Charles, but things have changed. What started as a covert of mission, tomorrow mankind will know mutants exist. Shaw, us, they won't differentiate. They'll fear us. And that fear will turn to hatred." Erik sighs.

"Not if we stop a war, not if we can prevent Shaw, not if we risk our lives doing so." Charles' voice raised a bit, all thought about continuing their chess game was lost. Erik needed to understand what Charles was trying to say.

"Would they do the same for us?" Erik finally raised his gaze to meet Charles'.

"We have it in us to be the better man."

"We already are! We are the next stage of human evolution, you said it yourself." Erik was now raising his voice, and Charles could tell yet another fight about Erik's desire to kill Shaw was about to begin, "Are you really so naive as to think that they won't battle their own extinction? Or is it arrogance?"

Charles was taken back, "I'm sorry?" He responded as he raised his eyebrows.

"I-I apologize. But, after tomorrow, they are gonna turn on us, and you are blinded because you believe they are all like Moira." Erik said, and Charles could hear his thoughts projecting inside his mind: _of course it was moira it's always been her what does she have that I don't?_  Charles was quick to enter Erik's mind and respond with: _Erik, my love, you know me and Ms. MacTaggert are only_ _acquaintances. Stop this nonsense._

"And you believe they are all like Shaw." Charles responded aloud, leaned forwards towards Erik, and gently grasped his hand, "Listen to me very carefully, my love: killing Shaw will not bring you peace."

Erik squeezed Charles' hand and responded, "Peace was never an option."

Charles quickly returned back into Erik's mind and said:  _It always was, with me._

Charles studied the quick flash of realization on Erik's face when he heard Charles' telepathic remark before it turned back to its usual stony expression. He hoped that Erik would soon understand.                                         

—                                            

10 years later, Charles would have thought he would be sitting with Erik, outside his mansion, holding hands, (maybe with a ring on his finger) telling old stories to one another.

Now, Charles sits alone on one of the many steps of Xavier Mansion, covered in an old, raggedy robe, and filled with a poison that had taken away his greatest gift. His only company being Hank and his own memories.  
  
Charles sat, thinking about those memories of him and Erik. Sleeping in the same bed for the first time in that old, hotel. Their first kiss. Their first time making love together in Charles' bedroom. Charles stared at the dust covering the hardwood floor, lost in thought. His mind then pulled him into a rather depressing memory: the day him and Erik's relationship ended.

It was Cuba. Of course it was.

When Erik had been moving the bullets away from himself, Charles happened to be at the wrong place at the exact wrong time when Erik maneuvered one of the bullets, and it went straight into the base of Charles' spine.

Charles instantly fell to his knees, one of his hands covering the small of his back as he screamed out in pain. Erik came running over to him, cradled Charles in his arms, and screamed at Moira. 

"You did this!" Erik shouted, and preceded to choke her with her necklace.

"She didn't do this, Erik," Charles murmured, "You did."

Erik slowly released Moira and looked down at Charles, tears filling his eyes. 

"Us turning on each other, it's what they want. I tried to warn you, Charles. I want you by my side. All of us together, protecting each other. We want the same thing." Erik mutters out.

Charles is silent for a moment, realizing that Erik _hadn't_ understood Charles' way of thinking. No matter how much Charles had pleaded, Erik had been too determined to change his mindset.

"My love, I'm sorry, but we do not."

Their last words to each other.

Or so they thought.

Erik looks down at him, utterly defeated and heartbroken. Charles meets his watery eyes, the same gorgeous eyes of the man he fell in love with, the man whose kisses could make Charles' mind go blank, the man whose gentle, soft touches Charles swore made his heart stop, the man who often woke up before Charles when they slept together, but could be found in the kitchen making a meal for Charles when he did arise.

Most importantly, though, Charles looked into the eyes of the man who was now leaving him, like he meant nothing.

Charles painfully tore away from this particular memory, with tears blurring his vision, to go get yet another dosage of the serum.

—                                                                                                                                    

When a man who goes by the name of Logan appears at the mansion saying that he has been sent from the future to stop Raven from killing Dr. Bolivar Trask, Charles is ready to storm back to his room and sleep another day away.

But something Logan says makes Charles stop in his tracks.

"I was sent here from the future by you and Erik. We're going to need him too."

Charles turns his head and glares at Logan.

"That man is a monster, a murderer, he's where he belongs." Charles hears himself say, but he knows that's not true. He knows the only place Erik belongs is in his arms.

He sighs.

Charles hears Logan saying something about how Charles can't keep living like this, that he will die if he continues down this path.

"We all have to die sometime." Charles says as he lazily walks back up the stairs, and he's surprised by how much he wishes his 'sometime' would come just a bit sooner.

—                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Charles gives the idea about getting Erik back some thought. He would finally get to _see_ him again. After all these years of being apart. Erik being in solitary confinement underground for _10 years._ Charles just wants to  _see_ him again. To  _touch_ him again.

When Charles returns back downstairs and agrees to help Logan, and then he speaks of his plan to free Erik from the Pentagon, and Hank agrees, Charles knows things are about to get very, very complicated (emotionally and physically).

"You do realize that we have no way to get us in, or out. It's only me and Hank." Charles says.

Logan thinks on that for a moment, "I know a guy. He would be a young man now, of course, but he could get in or out of anything."

—        

The car ride to Peter Maximoff's house is a stressful one. Charles insists he drives there, even with his inexperience, and Hank tells him the rules all the way there, despite Charles' protests.

Charles personally thinks Peter is obnoxious, and a plain ass, but they need him to break Erik out, and whatever that takes, Charles will do.

As Logan is talking to Peter (or trying to, at least) Charles suddenly feels the back of his shirt fly up and Peter is now at his ping pong table, holding Charles' wallet with a small white card in his hand,"Hey, what's with this gifted youngsters place?"

"That's an... old card." Charles mutters as he grabs back his wallet.

"So he's a teleporter?" Hank asks.

"No, he's just fast." Logan answers.

Peter is suddenly now across the room, playing Mrs. Pacman, "So who are you? What do you want?"

"We need your help, Peter." Logan says.

"With what?" Peter responds quickly.

"To break into a highly secured prison."

"Prison break?" Peter asks, and you can hear the smirk in his voice, "So what's in it for me?"

"You, you kleptomaniac," Charles begins, "Get to break into the Pentagon."

—                                                                                                 

As Charles is waiting for Peter to get Erik, he starts to realize how much he's desperately missed Erik.

He missed their long talks, their lessons, their late night 'snacks', their chaste kisses, their cuddles, the kisses on the nose Charles would receive from Erik (which always made Charles blush and Erik chuckle). He missed the hand-holding, the kisses on the neck, the feeling of Erik's arms wrapping around him when they fell asleep together, he missed how Erik always managed to sneakily wrap an arm around Charles' waist when they were laying on the couch together. He missed absolutely everything.

So, when the elevator door opens, and Erik stands in front of Charles, he isn't surprised that his first thought is how handsome Erik still looks.

Erik's face immediately softens, and his hoarse voice mutters, "Charles?"

And what Charles did next, he wasn't that proud of.

Charles could not stop himself as he grabbed Erik's face, pulled him down, and connected their lips. Erik's lips were still soft, and still slightly chapped, just as they were all those years ago. Their lips moved perfectly together once again, as if they were made simply to do this.

Charles felt Erik's fingers on his neck, and one gliding down his arm to grip his hand. Charles' hold on Erik's face tightened, as he deepened the kiss. The familiar rush of sparks flooded Charles' body like a tsunami. The same feelings were still there as they were when they first kissed. Charles didn't know if he should be happy or worried by that.

They broke away abruptly when Peter cleared his throat.

"Guys, I know you've just seen each other after years, but, we kinda have to go, which, is no problem for me, but.."

Charles finally took his eyes away from Erik's beautiful gray ones when he got the feeling he was losing himself in them once again.

"Yes, I suppose you're right. I apologize for getting distracted." Charles murmured, slightly embarrassed.

Charles then stepped away from Erik, but Erik's grip on his hand didn't falter.

Charles knew he should hate Erik, after all he's done.

From the incident in Cuba to the assassination of President Kennedy. He hated Erik's actions, but he could not find it in himself to hate the man he loves so severely. 

When they returned back to the kitchen, army men from the Pentagon surrounded them with guns. Erik's grip on Charles' hand tightened if that was even possible.

"Charles, freeze them. Charles?" Erik shouts.

"I can't." Charles whispers.

A moment passes before the metal tables start to rattle and Charles' free hand finds it's way onto Erik's chest, "No!"

Then, suddenly, Peter Maximoff is across the room, taking earphones off, and the guards are punching themselves in the face, some have the guns pointed in the opposite direction than they were just a moment ago, food flies everywhere, and all the bullets that were just about to impact their faces, are now impacting the metal doors behind them.

—                                                                                                                                   

Now, as they're on the plane heading to Paris, Logan sits in the front, which leaves Charles and Erik in the back, facing each other.

"How did you loose them?" Erik asks sternly, not looking at Charles.

"The treatment for my spine affects my DNA," Charles answers quickly, not taking his eyes off Erik.

Erik finally meets Charles' gaze, mixed emotions everywhere in his eyes, "You sacrificed your powers so you could walk?"

Charles stares at him blankly, "I sacrificed my powers so that I could slee..." Charles shakes his head and doesn't continue.

"Charles, I am so sorry. I regret ever leaving you in the first place. It has haunted me every god awful day since then." Erik responds.

"Why did you leave in the first place, Erik? Why didn't you come back? You abandoned me, you took her away, and you abandoned me! You took everything that was dear to me, and that included you."

"Charles, I have no idea how to make you forgive me, I know no words can mend the suffering I have caused you, and that tears me apart inside."

"How did you think I felt when  _you_ left  _me_ _!_ I had no one, aside from Hank! No one! How do you think I felt when I heard you had gotten arrested? When I heard you had assassinated  _the President_.But, perhaps, I misunderstood your feelings, and perhaps, you never cared for me at all!" Tears were now stinging the eyes of the once-professor, and he cleared his throat and tore his eyes away from Erik's concerning gaze.

And then, Charles felt his face being cupped and gently tugged upwards by familiar, soft hands, and suddenly he was merely inches away from Erik's face, but Charles still did not meet his eyes.

"Charles, you know that is a terrible lie. I have never loved anymore more than I love the person I am staring at right now. Look at me, love."

Cautiously, blue eyes met gray, and Charles was being pulled into a gentle, loving kiss. Charles wanted to yell at Erik more, for leaving him to deal with all the voices, all the pain and suffering that would never escape his mind until he injected himself with the serum. He wanted to scold Erik until he truly understood the miserable agony that Charles had when Erik had not there to kiss him and tell him it was going to be alright.

"I'm so, so, very sorry," Erik whispered against his lips, and repeated it again, and again until Charles never wanted to hear the words again.

When Charles felt Erik's wet tears against his cheeks, and he felt the rattle of the plane, he pulled away.

"My love, please, it's okay, it's okay," Charles whispers into the crook of Erik's neck, trying to calm him down so he wouldn't cause Hank to loose control of the plane. As Erik silently breaks down onto his shoulder, Charles buries his nose into Erik's hair and inhales the scent of him, and all the memories of falling asleep to that scent, and sometimes waking up to it as well, floods his brain.

Erik was still repeating, "I'm so sorry, Charles, so sorry. ."

"My love, it's okay what is done is done, you cannot change that. No matter how many times you wish you could."

—                                                                                                                                   

Charles was foolish to think that he and Erik could fix their relationship. Not after what happened. Not after what he had  _done._

Now, it was the day of the presentation for the Sentinels.

Charles was back in his wheelchair, his powers restored, and Erik was gone, yet again.

Ever since Erik tried to shoot Raven, Charles has never wanted to see his face again.

At least, that's what he tells himself.

A part deep inside Charles knows that if Erik were to walk up to him at this very moment, he would drag him down to his level and yell and yell but he would still listen to whatever excuse Erik would say, and Charles would hold him in his arms and whisper forgiveness.

He knows that's not right. Charles knows that.

So when Charles sees Erik drop the RFK Stadium around The White House, he tells himself that he can talk Erik out of this, he can kiss him and tell him it's okay, that people make mistakes.

But that's before Erik then releases the Sentinels out on the everyday humans. Then, he starts giving them  _orders._

Charles realizes that that's the breaking point. That no matter what Erik will say, it will never justify what he has done now. Charles can physically  _feel_ his heart shatter once more, as he watches the Sentinels fly above everyone, destroying everything in their wake. Charles' throat tightens at the knowledge that  _Erik_ was responsible for this, yet again.

Charles suddenly feels very, very sick.

He sees Erik through the debris, but then casts his gaze upward suddenly when he sees a long metal beam falling down on him. He jumps out of his wheelchair just as the beam lands across his body.

Charles knows Erik sees him trapped under the beam, but all Erik does is yell to the Sentinels, "Go do what you were made for!"

Charles finally sees the madness in his ex lover's eyes.

He mentally punches himself in the face, for being such a ghastly fool, for being so blinded by love, that he hadn't realized that the man he had loved so deeply had changed into someone he didn't know anymore.

Charles looks up at Erik, using his powers to stay afloat in the air, his leather coat billowing out behind him.

When Raven shoots Erik across the neck and pulls his helmet off as he falls to the ground, Charles knows it's time. It's time for him to go into Erik's mind without permission, without asking. It's time for him to do what he's never wanted to do.

He controls Erik by his mind.

He makes him lift up the metal beam that was crushing him, and Hank hoists him up, and Charles puts all his weight on the side of Hank and wraps his arm around his back for support. Charles stares at Erik, pain and loss being the only feelings he knows.

He stares at the man whom he had loved with all his heart, the man who he thought he could never stop loving. The man who he would wake up with kisses when he was having nightmares. The man who held Charles' hand when he was nervous, the man who he thought would never leave him, but proved him wrong so many times. The man who Charles swore had a good side, but he was now starting to see that Erik might never uncover that side.

With tears falling, Charles looked at the man who was no longer Erik, but now Magneto.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry if this was not a very well written story, it's my first time ever trying to write these characters, so give me some time, and hopefully I can get the feel of them better.


End file.
